Chofetz Chaim: It's not just a Yeshiva. It's a way of life.

Here is a response I am posting for a friend:

Striving, I’m a Chofetz Chaim guy so I feel qualified to answer this question from an insider’s perspective.

Chofetz Chaim is unique in that:

1. We follow the mussar mesorah of the Slabodka Yeshiva;

2. we strongly emphasize a kesher with the yeshiva;

3. We strongly emphasize a kesher with a Rebbe, since nobody can see their own faults and blind spots. In fact, our divorce rate is lower than at other yeshivos for this reason;

4. We strongly emphasize klal work after semicha;

5. We hear a great deal of hashkafah from the Rebbeim, ensuring that our opinions on how to view things are sculpted by our Rebbeim and not by our chevra;

5. All of the Rebbeim follow this derech, ensuring that the bochurim receive a consistent message.

I wish you much bracha and hatzlacha in your shidduch endeavors.

My friend is in Chofetz Chaim and I asked him for something unique about Chofetz Chaim and he told me the following:

They also have elementry schools in Brooklyn, Miami, Las Vegas etc.

With more in the works!

So it seems from what my friend told me that Chofetz Chaim really is “a way of life”!

I went to a Chofetz Chaim high school, and I know several guys learning in Kew Gardens Hills. I can’t speak for all of the guys there, but the people that I know have excellent middos and are strong lamdanim. Some people in the yeshivish world claim that it has CC a reputation for being a little “cultish” (which may explain your friend’s attitude), but that is not true at all. The guys who go there are not only normal, but they generally have superb middos and derech eretz.

CC’s methodology is unique in some regards:

* Going into chinuch is a central principle at CC, and it is common for CC guys to eventually move out of town to teach at or start new branches of the yeshiva. Often, guys will also take positions at non-CC schools and yeshivos.

* There is a very strong emphasis on mussar and introspection. CC emphasizes that people should be aware whether the motives for their behavior are lishma or not. CC also generally encourages talmidim to focus on growing in the area of bein adam lachaveiro prior to bein adam lamakom.

* Analysis of the Gemara, rishonim, and achronim is generally far deeper and more extensive at CC than at other yeshivos. As a result, usually less blatt are covered in b’iyun seder than at other yeshivos. (Some people in the yeshivish world make fun of CC for this). However, the Gemara that is learned “bekiyus” at CC is probably more thorough than bekiyus at most yeshivos, as the talmidim apply the same analytical technique to their bekiyus learning.

* Because of CC’s somewhat different approach, guys at CC usually stay there through kollel rather than switching in and out of other places. Often, a talmid straight out of high school will learn in a CC branch for three years, then learn in Kew Gardens Hills Beis Medrash program for the next four years. Then they spend the next seven years in the kollel and get semicha. Then, around age 31 or 32, they typically take up a job in chinuch. As a result of all that training, CC rabbis are usually very highly qualified. Many of the guys also get master’s degrees in education or psychology or something similar by going to night school during their kollel years.

* In some regards, CC is considered a bit modern by people from some other yeshivos. One reason is that a lot of guys get bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Keep in mind, though, that those credentials are often important for forays into chinuch. Another reason why CC is considered a bit more modern is because some guys there wear blue shirts instead of white, or gray hats instead of black.

coke not pepsi –

The joke is that they “learn” 1 blatt a zman as opposed to other Yeshivas that don’t “learn” even 1?

Uh oh! Fellow mods – please don’t delete this – lol

Striving- from what I understand- cc people are as varied as other yeshivas regarding movies/internet and its very possible that less people have it then in other yeshivos.

I was looking aroind online to see if cc has a website and I couldn’t find one. So that should be a good sign!

To be honest, its one of the few places that I havent heard negative things about. Thats got to be a major positive!

[my only problem was the fundraising people who called and annoyed me. I told them I didn’t want to pledge money but to just send a card and I would send in money. They really beat on me until I agreed to give $10. I probably would have given more, but I felt brow-beaten into it…but I realize they are just trying to do their job.]

liddleyiddle: we know!!!!! btw welcome back, i see you rejoined us!!!!!!!!!! join the fun!!!

They’re totally real, what you see is what you get.

could i ask a question? if a CC boy usually stays learning what about the cc boys who are working….does that mean they went off?

fan…learning all day is not for everyone,

My friend went to meet the rosh yeshiva about shidduch possibilities and he emphasized to her very strongly that a shidduch with a cc boy means she will be supporting him for at least 10 years, $50K-$60K a year. And he made her understand that SHE would be supporting him.

Ummm…..

IS THIS TRUE??????????????????????

But that means that CC boys EXPECT their wives to be supporting them totally? Or is there such a thing as “shared support” with boys in this yeshiva?

It’s funny cuz I was just discussing this with my friend on the way home from a vort tonight because it was a CC vort. And someone I know there said she thought of a CC boy for me. But can someone explain the blue shirt/white shirt thing to me?

Do all CC boys wear blue shirts?

Does it mean something if they do/or don’t?

Chaval on the way things have come to today.

You are completely right, but this is not a CC issue. Other Yeshivos may ask for $x per year whether it comes from a wife or in laws. CC asks for no less than any other Yeshiva, just that it comes from a wife instead of being handed a check every month.

As a side issue, if you are completely certified in education, do you work for the BOE? Bacause I have heard they pay much better and give benefits.

Re striving:

re internet: I did not see this question answered well. I know that they yeshiva is against it at all costs (almost) There was a huge vaad about it and they Yeshiva is very strongly against guys having internet (I dont have it and i’m a balla baas, even more so a computer programmer lol) Anyways like every rule you’ll find exceptions and those who just flatly don’t listen. But if you ask any rebbi they will strongly discourage it

Movies: Each guy is different like every other place I personally watch alot of caillou (new cartoon fad for toddlers lol kidz)

L613: If your looking for a guy who will learn for 10 years thats true everywhere they overhead costs! no different in CC, CC has it’s fair share of “learner earners” if that’s what your looking into but I understand your quagmire you want the learner but don’t wanna be the earner lol

“But can someone explain the blue shirt/white shirt thing to me?

Do all CC boys wear blue shirts? Does it mean something if they do/or don’t?”

There is no blue shirt/white shirt “thing”. There is no “thing” about clothes, other than the responsibility of a ben torah to dress like a mentch. If the shirt is blue, white, grey, pinstriped, whatever, the key is to look like a mentch.

No, all guys do not wear blue shirts. Some white, some pinstriped, other grey, although I wont go so far as to say “its a regular rainbow” because I dont think you’ll find purple or pink 🙂

Does wearing a white shirt or blue shirt, mean something in (not picking on a specific yeshiva, just naming the first 5 that popped into my head) Chaim Berlin, Mir, Torah Vodaas, BMG or Tez?

For what its worth, when I was in a “very greasy” (prefer not to say the name, but “very greasy” is how people describe it) yeshiva for several years (I switched out to CC) many of the “greasy” guys wore blue shirts and brown pants, admittedly, that was 25 years ago, but still, white shirts are a relatively new phenomena and has become the de facto uniform of “yeshivish” guys and those looking to fir into the mold.

Okay, so now I KNOW that mosherose is writing tongue-in-cheek here…

“Asking for such a high price for buchrim shows the chashivus of Torah and learning.”

Actually, the Rosh Yeshiva was not selling his bachurim on the open market and he was not setting a price. He was explaining the reality of life that the bachur might be learning in 7-10 years from now and bezras hashem 4-5 kids and tuitions, rent, food, clothes etc. 50k-60k a year is what is necessary to live. To suggest the rosh yeshiva was saying anything else is insulting the rosh yeshiva.

“A girl who really values Torah will pay for it.”

Or as the rosh yeshiva was explaining, would have to have the ability to earn such an income.

Of course, any kollel couple, even with no kids, that has to have the nicest apartment, the newsest car, a budget for eating out 3 nights a week, vacations in florida during bein hazmanim, is constantly updating their wardrobe also needs 50k a year, altough I dont know how it shows much in their way of chashivus hatorah.

So, did you get married to the Chofetz Chaim boy?

You can still, as a man, see them being great husbands. Just not for yourself.

Support is needed when marrying any Yeshiva boys.

BTW many parents will share support from both sides (girl & boy) plus many many CC guys do their histadlus in parnasah too. There are those that tutor, lein on Shabbos, selling esrogim, hashgacha, involved with Senior nursing homes and kiruv activities.

Also CC life in Queens is more on the simple side than in other larger Yeshivish kehillas. The cars, apartments and furnishing are nothing special and Jewelry is not abundant. Simpler life style in all.

To answer the OP: Chofetz Chaim people are on a higher madreiga than everyone else. If you’re not on that madreiga, it could be hard for you to keep up.

So they have to discourage you 3 times from marrying into Chofetz Chaim. If you marry someone from CC anyway, it shows you’re able to stay on the madreiga.

From what I understand, CC guys do not keep learning indefinitely until they have to start working like guys from other yeshivas do. CC only lets them stay in yeshiva as long as they feel is necessary after which they make them leave and get jobs. But for the ones. Who plan to get smicha they feel that it is necessary preparation for their job to learn in kollel for a few years after getting married and since they don’t encourage living off of tzedaka they therefore look for wives who have jobs and can support a family for a few years before the husband himself gets Smicha and starts earning a living as well. Either way, the husband’s parnasa is not going to be much as a Rabbi so the wife has to have a decent-paying job. Plus as mentioned above, many of the guys work side jobs during kollel so this sounds very much in line with the Rambam.